Conventional air bag covers used in conjunction with occupant restraint systems may sometimes include decorative badges or ornaments attached thereto either as a separate part of or integrally formed with the cover. Such ornaments may take the form of a logo or mark representing a vehicle name or manufacturer or the like. These decorative badges are generally aesthetically pleasing and help to enhance the overall appearance of the interior of the automotive vehicle. Since an air bag cover moves away from the steering column during automatic inflation of the air bag, the associated decorative badge must be securely attached thereto so that it does not come off during this action.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,851 to Saito et al. discloses an air bag module cover which includes a cover member, an ornament on the cover member, and a rigid ornament-mounting structure including a fastener and a retainer. In one embodiment, a connecting film which fixes the ornament on the cover member has a membrane-type switch.
Problems associated with such prior art air bag covers include limited switch activation area, complexity and cost of assembly, the stacking of tolerances, and potential danger caused by small parts which form part of the cover assembly and which may fly from the assembly during air bag deployment.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,529,336 and 5,487,557 to Eckhout discloses air bag covers having decorative appliques fastened thereto. Each decorative applique is disposed adjacent a tear seam in a non-overlapping fashion to prevent any interference with the inflation or exit of the air bag upon operation. The decorative applique includes a thin plastic layer extruded onto a decorative applique film. The decorative applique assembly is attached to the air bag cover by inserting connecting towers extending from the rear surface of the applique through fastening apertures which extend completely through the front cover of the air bag cover. Portions of the connecting tower extend out from the fastening apertures so that they may be deformed to form a retaining member larger in diameter than the fastening aperture so as to affix the applique to the air bag cover. The preferred method of deforming the portion includes applying a stream of heated air to the portion to melt the portion and then applying a cold stake directly to the melted portion to form the retaining member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,664 to Wenrick discloses an elongated extruded strip adapted to be mechanically secured to a slotted sheet-like substrate. A thermoplastic material is continuously extruded in any desired cross-sectional configuration including a rear face having at least one rearwardly projecting rail. Longitudinally spaced apart sections of this rail are removed to provide longitudinally spaced rearwardly projecting teeth which enable mechanical securement of the extrusion to a supporting substrate having slots through which the teeth are extended.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,371,333 discloses a steering wheel pad with a horn switch assembly. A plurality of ribs are integrally formed on a bottom surface of an outer member. The ribs abut with the top surface of an inner member on the top surface of a switch body of a horn switch. When the outer member is not pressed, the ribs maintain the outer member in a predetermined shape. When the outer member is pressed, the ribs transmit the pressure to the switch body.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,462 issued to Gaultier discloses an air bag and vehicle horn switch assembly. Gaultier also discloses a conventional two-piece cover construction.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,490 issued to Adams et al. discloses a cover for an inflatable restraint system for a motor vehicle which contains a slot in the upper wall thereof into which a replaceable thin or membrane-type switch assembly is inserted.
The Embach U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,735 discloses a device which has inner and outer covers or plates, each of which has split lines which separate the upper walls into upwardly and oppositely opening upper and lower pairs of flaps to permit deployment of the inflatable cushion. A switch assembly is located between either or both pair of flaps and includes one or more membrane switches located between the flaps and respective key pads projecting outwardly of the cover flap for closing respective pairs of circuits on the upper and lower flexible membranes of the membrane switch to each other.
The Heidorn U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,106 discloses an air bag module cover assembly with a switch subassembly removably attached at a front surface of the assembly.
The Winget U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,661 discloses a rigid plate attached to the substantially rigid remainder of a front panel of an air bag cover to define a hollow compartment which together move upon manual actuation of a flexible, manually operable diaphragm at the front surface of the front panel. The front panel has a first electrically conductive inner surface for making a circuit path with a corresponding second electrically conductive inner surface of the rigid plate.
The Cooke, II U.S. Pat. No. 5,344,185 discloses an air bag cover having a replaceable horn switch and a cover band which is removably secured by screws to sidewalls of a cover door.
The Leonelli U.S. Pat. No. 5,369,232 discloses a membrane horn blow switch integrated into the front panel of an air bag cover. More specifically, the membrane switch seats in and fills a horn actuation area which is a step-down portion of the cover reduced in thickness.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,198,629 to Hayashi et al. discloses a steering wheel having an insert molded membrane switch.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,059 to Inoue et al. discloses an air bag cover including a horn switch.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,841 to Trojan et al. discloses a housing assembly for an air bag and a vehicle horn switch.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,114 to Margetak et al. discloses an air bag cover having a plurality of force concentrators which cooperate with projections of a horn switch to concentrate force applied to the cover.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,642,901 to Bowman et al. discloses a relatively flexible thermoplastic air bag cover including a front panel wherein switch activating members enhance activation of a membrane-type switch located at a switch location area of the front panel. This feature provides pressure points which enhance activation of the membrane-type switch. The switch activating members are located on the rear inner surface of the cover in one embodiment and, in another embodiment, on the upper surface of a back plate which provides a hollow compartment for the switch. The switch activating members can be integrally formed in the shape of small circles, ribs, raised dots, X's, etc.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,561 to Kauer discloses a relatively flexible thermoplastic air bag cover assembly having a switch and method of manufacturing same including a thermoplastic electromagnetic material which forms welds between front and back panels of the assembly. The welded front and back panels define a switch pocket therebetween to hold the switch such as a membrane-type horn switch therein. The welds occupy a relatively small amount of surface area yet provide strong polymer-to-polymer linkages between the front and back panels, thereby enlarging the effective switch activation area on the outer surface of the front panel. The welds are located very close to the switch pocket without damaging the switch during manufacturing. The bonds provided by the welds between the front and back panels are strong enough to prevent the switch from exiting the switch pocket during air bag deployment.
Other U.S. patents related hereto include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,463,258; 5,465,998; 5,085,462; 5,569,893; and 5,725,241.